A tech evangelist for O’Reilly Media, Brady Forrest is the driving force behind Ignite, a popular series of fast-paced, five-minute talks that started in Seattle and quickly spread around the globe — providing geeks the world over a stage for sharing their knowledge and, yes, even entertaining each other. (Pictured here with ‘Wolfbrella,’ retrieved at Burning Man 2011.)

His advice: “Follow the Fun. Always choose the more interesting and challenging opportunity.”

Editor’s Note: GeekWire has identified more than a dozen “Geeks Who Give Back” — people who work in non-profits, mentor others and invest in the future of the tech community. They were all featured in the GeekWire 2012 Calendar, given out at the recent GeekWire Gala. As 2011 draws to a close, we’ve been highlighting one of them every day, along with photography by Seattle’s Red Box Pictures.